Registration and stronger colonial customs powers

Registration, owner oaths, and exceptions for prizes or naval-store supply helped determine which ships could claim English status. The registration deadline later had to be extended by the 1697 Registering of Ships Act. When English capacity was insufficient, even Dutch or Portuguese ships could recover strategic stores from the plantations, a pragmatic exception to protection. Enforcement proceeds were divided among the Crown, the governor, and the informer, creating a financial incentive to report violations. Colonial customs officers could board ships, search warehouses, handle cargo, and seize prohibited or untaxed goods. Appointment from England gave governors stronger machinery but reduced their control over the people who exercised it, shifting power toward the Crown.